2013 Grant Recipeints

MiCTA 2013 Spring Grant

MiCTA announces the Spring 2013 Impact Grant winner, Kilgour Elementary and Partnership for Innovation in Education (P!E) for their KydPreneur Program. The KydPreneur Technology Acceleration Program(TAP) will teach app design and development, computer programming, video editing, digital robotics and stop motion animation. Currently, CPS schools do not teach these types of classes, and instead contract with outside suppliers. However, of 58 schools, only 3 currently offer an after-school tech program because of funding inadequacy. The TAP program aims to provide an “in-house” CPS-owned, STEM tech curriculum using 1-to-1 tablet technology

The PIE KydPreneur program, tested originally within the Cincinnati Public School District, provides School Districts with additional revenue streams directly benefitting students, enables teachers to learn how to better utilize technology in the classroom, and forms new collaborative learning partnerships with businesses and community organizations in the School District.

PIE STEM programs have been designed and approved with the help of Cincinnati Public Schools. Funded with a 2012 MiCTA Grant, the original KydPreneur program (“Bringing Technology, Entrepreneurship & Business to the Classroom”) satisfies STEM Core Curriculum Standards and offers experiential, project-based learning.

Northern Kentucky University Center for Applied Informatics (CAI), NKU Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics (CINSAM), Sprint, CincyTech, Vantiv Inc. and Hewlett Packard Co. will partner with PIE to provide a curriculum allowing students to learn and apply financial, math and engineering concepts, and collaborate with members of the business community.

Once finalized, PIE will offer TAP to the remaining 57 Cincinnati Public Schools, which represent a wide student socioeconomic range with over 85% eligible for federal free school breakfast and lunch programs.